Long Walk Societies March 2026 Newsletter

Members of the Long Walk Societies enhance excellence and power possibility for Trinity students. Through the generosity of the College’s leadership donors, senior Sofia Tonon Helena ’26 and her peers experience the full breadth of intellectual and campus life opportunities that define the Trinity journey. To join the Long Walk Societies (LWS) or to learn more, visit the LWS website.

 

Student Profile: Sofia ’26

Major

Political science with a minor in Hebrew

Activities

I’m the founder of the Brazilian Student Association (BRASA) chapter here at Trinity. BRASA is an international organization for Brazilian students studying abroad, and working for it has allowed me to organize conferences in New York City and Washington, D.C., and attend one in Paris. I’m also on Hillel’s Student Board and work for Trinity’s Admissions Office, first as a tour guide and now as a senior admissions associate (SAA).

Long-term career goal

I’ve always been passionate about astronomy and space. I first decided to attend college in the United States because the country is a leader in the global aerospace industry. I had the opportunity to do a summer internship at Oxford Analytica in New York City, where I worked on space policy with geopolitical analysts and developed a project on lunar ownership. After graduation, I plan to work in space policy for a year or two and then continue with postgraduate studies at a space policy institution.

How Trinity is preparing me

I started at Trinity as an engineering major because I thought I wanted to become a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry. When I also started taking classes in international studies and political science, I reached a point where I liked my engineering classes but loved my political science classes. After speaking with an adviser, I realized I was most interested in the space policy and diplomacy aspects of the aerospace industry. I think attending Trinity opened my eyes to other paths for getting to where I want to go.

Other opportunities at Trinity

I was able to study for a semester at Trinity’s Rome Campus. I never thought I’d be able to live near the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. I took classes on the European Union and visited the European Parliament in Brussels. I also was in Rome for the 2025 papal conclave. I was in a class when smoke appeared at the Vatican, so we shut our laptops and ran—it felt like the whole city was running to the Vatican together.

Choosing Trinity

I come from Curitiba, the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná in Southern Brazil. I started focusing on the process of applying abroad when I was 12 because it was a major life goal. I had applied mostly to big engineering schools, but I liked the idea of attending a liberal arts college with a strong Engineering Department, too. My plan was to visit other colleges, but after attending admitted students’ day at Trinity, I knew that this was going to be my home. I also wanted to work in Admissions on campus because of the way that I was welcomed. It made me feel secure about moving to another continent by myself, and it made my parents feel like they would be OK leaving me here, too.

What do you know about the scholarship you hold?

I am a recipient of the 1823 Scholarship, a merit scholarship named for Trinity’s founding year. Every year we get together and have lunch at the President’s House. When I worked for the Office of Advancement as a student advancement officer, it was really rewarding because I knew that I was helping to continue the opportunity that was given to me and to make it possible for other students in the future.